The Last Priestess

Chapter 4: Lost

Psyche POV

I awoke in a strange place. My eyes were able to directly gaze at the blue sky, assuming that the chamber had no roof or ceiling. A burst of cold wind caused me to rise up from my resting state abruptly, and it was only then that I discovered I was on a mound of dried grass and not in a decent room. I turned to look around and noticed different farm animals nearby. There are other vendors on the opposite side of the street as well.

Where am I?

Scratching my head, feeling unorganized, my heart began to beat rapidly. I remember what happened.

The portal!

Scion Prezi might have brought me here. Despite the crowds, I searched for him and nearly rounded the entire market before failing to find him. The only thing I can recall is that we were both simultaneously engulfed by the portal, and after that, I have no memory of what transpired.

He left me here, didn't he?

My feet are already aching from all the walking, my stomach is grumbling with hunger, lips are parched in dryness and thirstiness, and sweats falling down on my forehead. Fear had slowly overpowered the hope planted in my chest when I couldn't recognize anyone in the mass. They all have a foreign, aggressive appearance.

"Miss, do you want to try our new recipe?" one man approached me, hands offering bread.

Despite my hunger, I shall not eat. Miriam frequently instructed me not to take food from strangers or from places I was not familiar with. In addition to that, I am cash-poor. I can't even recall where my bag went.

"Thank you but...no," I rejected.

I swear, the next time Scion shows up in my face, he'll be dead. Does he plan to kill me with thirst, hunger, and worry? He claimed that if I followed him, all of my problems would be resolved, yet he is nowhere to be found. He is such a hypocrite.

Hold up!

My pupils progressively became wider as my mind came to a certain understanding. I promptly scan the area, making sure I'm not missing anyone. Could these individuals be revenants? I experienced a sudden spiking of my hair and a rush of shivers to my spine. But do ghosts offer goods like food, clothing, or anything else for sale? Is there an animal ghost? Wonders and concerns surge in sending my mind in haywire.

I was walking in the crowded streets with no sense of direction and—suddenly, someone blocked me from moving forward. Gazing up, a lean old woman in her dirty clothes stood in front of me with an expression of pride and arrogance—her smell was like that of rotten rice. Prolly neglecting to do some personal hygiene, which is a must.

"Are you a foreigner?" she asked in a loud voice, gaining half of the people's attention.

Everyone started whispering, sending dagger stares at me as if a crime had been committed.

I bow my head in embarrassment and slowly nod my head in validation. "Yes, I am."

"What are you doing here?" she fired again.

Unsure of how to respond to her query, I just stood there and looked at my feet. Because, to be fairly honest, I have no idea how I got here. This is neither my plan nor intention to pop up in this place.

"She's with me," a voice from the crowd interrupted us.

Everyone was speechless as they realized who had spoken. They all ceased chatting and lowered their heads as if the person speaking were a respected man. The crowd had been divided into two and the man walked in the middle. Disappointment rose in my chest after seeing that it wasn't Scion but another unfamiliar figure. Who is this?

"Are you harassing her, Matilda?" the man asked.

The old woman softened under the domineering presence of the newly arrived man. She shook her head, fumbled through her explanation, and her face turned pale, making it further clearer that she had done something wrong.

"I am just greeting her, Perseus. I didn't do anything wrong," Matilda replied defensively.

So, the man is called Perseus. He appears to be held in great regard in this community. People's respect and fear of him only serve to highlight his position of authority. I'm curious as to what role he served in order to earn people's reverence.

The warning came from Perseus, who said, "Go and leave. If I ever heard you pestering other people, you knew the consequence." Matilda shook her head in agreement before bolting like a startled cat. She's tough but weak. Bold but fearful.

"Why did you say that?" I asked, referring to what he declared earlier. I don't know him. He doesn't know me. In short, we don't know each other.

He looked at me with a blank face. Perseus seemed to have no time to entertain my question or even give me an explanation. He instead turned his back on me and said, "Follow me if you want to survive."

These people are weird. And although doubtful, I followed him. My choices are limited and there's no one in the masses deserving of my trust other than him who has saved me from Matilda.

“What place is this?”

“This is Agara—the borderline between the Alinthi Kingdom and the Drakon Empire,” he replied.

The more Perseus talked about kingdoms and empires, the worse my headache became. Although I pay close attention in my geography lessons, I've never heard my professor bring up such names in discussions. Likewise, I am virtually an expert at maps, yet I have no knowledge of this location.

Could this place be a purgatory? But no one in this place appeared to be dead. This conceived opinion of mine seems improbable. Maybe a place like this really exists and I just don't know.

"Why did you save me earlier?"

Perseus took a pause from walking and looked at me. "Should I not save you? It's the bare minimum I can provide for foreigners," he answered gruffly.

My intention was barely to understand the reason behind him saving me when he didn't even know me. Yet, hearing him now—he sounded like a grumpy old woman. I wonder if he, too, has undergone a menopausal stage at the moment. Or maybe he's just forced to save me. Not that I forced him to save me, if what was done earlier was against his heart, he could have just told me frankly and left me there.

"How will I be able to get back home?"

There aren't any automobiles here, as I previously observed. Some people ride camels, while others ride horses or wooden carts. It appears that the area has not changed and has continued to use conventional living arrangements.

"The same way you got here, that's how you're going to get home," he shortly answered.

He doesn't provide me with specific responses, and his tone of reply irritates me. But considering his answer, does that mean I must find a portal before I can return home because I arrived here through it?

"Does this region still belong to Asia?"

I'm earnestly hoping that this is still a part of Asia, since it's not feasible for me to create a portal, and if it is, I still have hope of returning home. The thing is that I don't have any money with me.

"Asia? What are you talking about, woman?"

I gave him a disbelieving look as my eyes rested on his face. I've never encountered somebody who doesn't know what Asia is before. Is he stupid?

"You don't know what Asia is? It's the world's largest continent," I noted.

"This is Agara, not Asia," he replied.

Oh, dammit! This man is literally an i***t.

I find it hard to have a decent conversation with him. It seemed like my head would hurt even more because of his answers. It's unbelievably stupid for him not to know Asia. However, if this isn't a part of Asia, it must be a part of another region.

"Is this part of Africa?"

"No"

"North America?"

"No"

"South America?"

"No"

"Antarctica?"

"No"

I almost mentioned all the continents, yet his response was always a no— as if it was the only word he knew. Is it possible for a place to exist without being on a certain continent? The concept could be possible, but if I base it on geography, it's inconceivable. Despite some claims of independent territory, some of which are considered pacific islanders, nations, and other entities fall within the seven continents.

"Europe?"

"No"

"How about Australia?"

"Are you dumb? How many times should I say no? This is Agara. Stop mentioning other places," he irritatedly answered.

I had a strange feeling that something was wrong. Maybe the folks here are different from what I'm accustomed to. Maybe I'm in a different world. My own query causes anxiety in my chest. I don't want to suggest anything outside of the norm, but I can't help wondering.

My presumptions may be accurate. Taking into account the enigma that had been revealed to me in a timely manner during the previous days. This may be what Scion meant when he said I would discover the answers to all of my questions once I go with him.

"Perseus," I called out his name again.

"What now?"

"Can you lend me some money? I need to go home."

It only dawned on me now that we hadn't exchanged formal introductions yet. Well, personally, it's challenging to introduce myself appropriately given this person's temperament. Truth is, I would have walked away a long time ago and not followed the road he was going if it weren't for the fact that I didn't have anybody close to me who could aid me except for him.

I'd rather swallow my pride than wander aimlessly through the marketplace. Particularly now that I can't reach Miriam since my cell phone was lost and I am aware that she will be concerned if I don't return home.

"I have already saved you; don't go beyond it. You must work to earn."